Palmetto pretenders push ‘cut’ that costs more for most



South Carolina Republicans aren’t trying to limit government — and they don’t appreciate the Freedom Caucus pressuring them to do so. Instead, they’ve concocted a devious plan to push a bill that sounds like a flat tax but would raise taxes on most residents earning under $115,000. The goal? To trap Freedom Caucus members into opposing a bill GOP leaders intend to promote as a tax cut during campaign season.

House Speaker Murrell Smith Jr. (R) promised voters a tax cut throughout the session but didn’t reveal the bill until last week. Now we know why. The proposal would amount to a net tax increase on 66% of state tax filers, including nearly all who earn less than $115,000. Despite this, Republican leaders still hope to get the bill to Republican Gov. Henry McMaster’s desk by May 8.

Until voters start focusing on primary elections — where the real ideological battles are fought — red states will keep giving us the big government blues.

Currently, South Carolina taxes income above $17,000 at 6.2% — one of the highest rates in the low-tax Southeast. Seeking to catch up with other red states, House leaders, with support from the governor, introduced H. 4216 to implement a 3.9% flat tax. On paper, it looks like a voter-friendly reform.

But buried in the bill is a major shift: It redefines taxable income to include earnings before federal taxes and deductions. Under current law, South Carolina only taxes adjusted income after those reductions. The change would quietly increase the tax burden for most middle-income residents — even as lawmakers pitch it as a cut.

The state Freedom Caucus quickly flagged the problem, releasing an analysis showing how the bill would impact working families. Because of South Carolina’s relatively low income levels, someone earning the state’s median income would pay $716 more per year under the proposal. Lower-income families could see increases of $800 to $1,000 annually.

Even families earning $100,000 — roughly the combined salary of a married teacher and police officer — would face a net increase of $327. Taxpayers wouldn’t break even until they hit $115,000 in income. And even then, a household making $119,000 would only see a modest benefit of $93.

The Office of Revenue and Fiscal Affairs released a distributional analysis showing the percentage of taxpayers at each income level who would pay more under the proposed tax structure:

— (@)

According to the data, between 78% and 90% of those earning $20,000 to $75,000 would see their taxes go up. Even among those earning $100,000 to $150,000, about 60% would end up paying more.

While it’s reasonable to want to broaden the tax base — which any flat tax will do — you can’t call this a tax cut if the overwhelming majority of middle-class families are paying more. To deliver actual relief, lawmakers would either need to drop the flat rate even lower or apply the 3.9% rate only to income after federal taxes and deductions.

Math doesn’t lie. This isn’t a cultural dispute, a philosophical debate, or a regulatory disagreement. State leaders know exactly what the numbers say — so the real question is: Why are they still pushing this bill?

The answer is simple. They don’t want to cut spending to pay for a real tax cut. In fact, the governor is proposing a 3.5% increase in the state budget. That’s why Republicans are promoting a tax plan that isn’t a tax cut at all.

Instead, they’re laying a political trap. By presenting this proposal as tax relief, they aim to paint the Freedom Caucus as anti-tax cut — even though the bill raises taxes on the majority of state residents. A few co-sponsors have already withdrawn their names, slowing the bill’s momentum, but it’s telling that this was the strategy in the first place.

Here’s the bottom line: Once a state adopts a progressive income tax, fixing it within the current framework is almost impossible. A better path would be to follow Mississippi’s lead. It recently joined nine other states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming — in eliminating its income tax entirely.

South Carolina could do the same by cutting spending to offset lost revenue or transparently pairing income tax repeal with increases elsewhere. But to sell a plan that raises taxes on two-thirds of residents as a “cut” is flat-out dishonest.

Unfortunately, this move by South Carolina GOP leadership is nothing new.

A recent analysis using the Club for Growth’s conservative scorecard found that Republican House members — excluding the South Carolina Freedom Caucus — averaged just 27%. That’s barely above the average Democrat. In contrast, Freedom Caucus members averaged a score of 92%.

In other words, the ideological gap between the Freedom Caucus and the rest of the state GOP is far wider than the gap between Republicans and Democrats.

Until voters start focusing on primary elections — where the real ideological battles are fought — red states will keep giving us the big government blues.

Exempting Most Americans From Taxes Is A Recipe For More Government Spending

Allowing most Americans to pawn off the full cost of federal programs on a small slice of the public would guarantee higher deficits.

Mississippi phasing out income tax, reducing tax on grocery sales



Republican Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves ratified legislation Thursday eliminating the individual income tax in his state by 2037 through annual decreases. The bill also decreases the tax on grocery sales from 7% to 5% and raises the gas tax by 9 cents over three years.

"Mississippi will no longer tax the work, the earnings, or the ambition of its people," the governor said in a statement. "The legislation I'm signing today puts us in a rare class of elite, competitive states. There are only a handful of states in the country that do not tax income. Today, Mississippi joins their ranks — and in doing so, we plant our flag."

Up until now, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming were the standout states that refused to confiscate wealth from Americans in the form of income taxes. While New Hampshire still taxes investment and interest income, it is presently in the process of phasing those out.

Mississippi House Bill 1, the "Build Up Mississippi Act," will reduce the income tax from 4% to 3.75% in 2027 then down to 3.5% in 2028, 3.25% in 2029, and 3% in 2030. There will be annual decreases in the following years until the income tax falls to 0%.

'This is a transformation.'

House Minority Leader Robert Johnson III (D) suggested that a typo in the trigger language of the act may, however, actually move up the time schedule for abolishing the income tax, reported WJTV-TV.

"The trigger is actually no longer a trigger because at the 80/500 of a percent, we essentially are in tax cut mode right now," said Johnson, who voted against the bill.

The Mississippi Free Press reported that lawmakers were under the impression that the tax would be further reduced in 2031 if the state's surplus in revenue from the previous fiscal year was greater than 85% of $407 million. The legislation as enacted instead states that the reduction will be triggered if the state's surplus that year is greater than 0.85% of $407 million.

Mississippi House Speaker Jason White (R) noted that one way or another, the legislation "eliminates the income tax in as soon as 14 years. While that's not fast enough for some, the House plan was a little faster than that — 11 years."

When the Mississippi legislature passed HB1 by a vote of 92-27 on March 20 — where all opposed were Democratic lawmakers — National Federation of Independent Business director Leah Long stated, "This is great news for Main Street businesses."

'Government should take less so that you can keep more.'

"Most small businesses in the state are structured as pass-through entities, meaning the revenue passes through the business to the owners, who pay taxes at the individual rate," said Long. "Eliminating the state income tax will allow small business owners to reinvest more revenue into their businesses, create jobs, and support their communities."

The Republican Governors Association called the ratification of HB1 a "historic achievement."

"This is more than a policy victory," said Reeves. "This is a transformation. And it's a transformation that I have believed in, fought for, and worked toward for many years."

"I believe in a simple idea: that government should take less so that you can keep more. That our people should be rewarded for hard work, not punished. And that Mississippi has the potential to be a magnet for opportunity, for investment, for talent — and for families looking to build a better life," added the governor.

While Reeves and other Republicans suspect that the elimination of the tax will lure talent and investment to the state, some critics claim Mississippi's prosperity might be at stake.

Kyra Roby, the policy director of the leftist activist outfit One Voice, noted in a recent op-ed that the loss of the $2.1 billion that Mississippi's income tax nets the state annually "would severely impact funding for education, healthcare, roads, and other vital services."

Roby also complained that the tax cut would save wealthier people more money, claiming that "disparities could worsen."

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Will we EVER get a USAID refund?



As Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency work to expose the millions of taxpayer dollars wasted through government agencies like USAID, many Americans have been left wondering when they might see a refund.

Some even hope that President Donald Trump might actually abolish income tax.

“I’m with you, I just don’t think that one is actually going to happen yet,” Jill Savage of “Blaze News Tonight” tells Matthew Peterson. “We can go through, we can audit the IRS, we can audit the Fed, the Pentagon.”

“I’m with you, but I think at some point we still have to pay taxes,” she adds.

“The important thing here,” Peterson chimes in, “is people are really thinking hard, and it’s because it’s being smashed into their face, just how they’re being hijacked. I mean, the government is hijacking your resources to support things to increase leftist power and that’s not OK. I mean, the American Revolution was fought for less.”


“I think that’s the right attitude. The right attitude is, it is your money, this is your country, and we are citizens in a republic. And if we are, then we’re not serfs in some kind of lefty empire, and that has to be put, done, and over with,” he continues.

While Peterson doesn’t think Trump will flat out abolish the income tax, he does believe there will be “changes to the tax code, even beyond what Trump has proposed.”

He also doesn’t believe we should completely abolish the income tax.

“Don’t let the fact that the left has used this money, they wasted a ton of money, first off, but don’t let the fact that they used it for ridiculous trans operas in Colombia take your eyes off the fact that we need to award artists here who are actually making beautiful things, and they exist,” Peterson says.

“There is a role for civic institutions to play in supporting things that are actually true, good, and beautiful,” he adds.

Want more from 'Blaze News Tonight'?

To enjoy more provocative opinions, expert analysis, and breaking stories you won’t see anywhere else, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

How Trump’s 15% tax plan could UNLEASH American prosperity



President Trump is working on a plan to lower corporate tax rates to 15% for companies that make their products in the United States — and Trump’s informal economic adviser and Committee to Unleash Prosperity co-founder Stephen Moore believes it’s a great plan.

“What Trump is basically talking about, which I think is a really interesting idea, is not necessarily getting rid of the income tax, but lowering all the tax rates to 15%,” Moore tells Glenn Beck of “The Glenn Beck Program.”

“I broached with Trump the other day, this idea of 15, 15, 15. So how about if we have a 15% corporate rate, a 15% individual income tax rate, a 15% universal tariff, a 15% capital gains dividend,” he continues. “Can you imagine that?”

“It would unleash prosperity like nobody’s business,” Glenn agrees.


However, some Americans are still rightfully concerned that tariffs are just another tax on an already heavily taxed population.

“What he wants to do is charge a 15% tax on things that are made in China, or Europe, or Japan, but if it’s made in Michigan or Ohio or Pennsylvania or California or Maine, he wants to have the rate 15%,” Moore explains.

“What I’m saying is you’re going to pay 15% income tax if it’s made in the United States. In other words, the profits you make on selling something, let’s say you make widgets, and you make a profit on making those widgets in Pennsylvania, wherever it is, you’re only going to pay a 15% income to buy that product if it’s made in America,” he continues.

“So what you’re trying to do is skew the table a little bit more in favor of buying things made in the U.S. versus other countries,” he says, adding, “And by the way, that’s what all other countries do to us.”

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

‘It’s not the tariff he wants’: Why Trump’s tariffs are no reason to freak out



It’s no secret that President Donald Trump loves tariffs, nor is it a secret that his detractors — and even many of his voters — are absolutely terrified of them.

However, without flinching, the president has imposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China.

“The extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, constitutes a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Until the crisis is alleviated, President Donald J. Trump is implementing a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China. Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff,” read a statement from the White House.

Always the voice of reason, Stu Burguiere of “Stu Does America” is thankfully here to explain why it might not be as big a deal as we think.


“Trump knows — he understands tariffs really well. In fact, this is one of his most consistent beliefs throughout his entire life. If you go back to the '80s, he’s pro-choice and a bunch of other stuff that he doesn’t really agree with now, but he was always pro-tariff,” Stu explains.

“Anybody that’s against Tariffs, including the Fake News Wall Street Journal, and Hedge Funds, is only against them because these people or entities are controlled by China, or other foreign or domestic companies. Anybody that loves and believes in the United States of America is in favor of Tariffs. They should have never ended, in favor of the Income Tax System, in 1913. The response to Tariffs has been FANTASTIC!” Trump posted to his followers on Truth Social.

As someone who's against tariffs, Stu disagrees with Trump's statement — though it doesn't scare him.

“While I don’t like tariffs, it doesn’t freak me out that much,” Stu comments, noting that President Trump has paused the tariffs on Mexico for one month after an agreement on border troops he’s struck with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico.

“This is why I don’t get freaked out about this stuff. You know what Donald Trump is doing. Everyone knows. We all went through a presidency before. He likes to use these tools to get other things,” he continues. “It’s not the tariff that he wants; he wants something else.”

Want more from Stu?

To enjoy more of Stu's lethal wit, wisdom, and mockery, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Republican Buddy Carter introduces bill to eliminate IRS and income tax — but replace it with 23% national sales tax



Rep. Earl "Buddy" Carter (R-Ga.) introduced the FairTax Act of 2025, aimed at abolishing the Internal Revenue Service.

Not only would the new act eliminate the IRS if passed, but it would also repeal the federal income tax.

A fact sheet from Carter's office sent to the Washington Examiner stated that the legislation would capture "the underground economy, tourism dollars, and purchases made by illegal immigrants."

This would allegedly be accomplished by implementing a 23% national sales tax, with some exceptions.

'As long as they’re here, they should be taxed.'

"The FairTax will have widespread benefits throughout our economy, not the least of which is forcing illegal immigrants to pay their fair share in taxes," Carter told the Examiner. "This will eliminate instances of illegal immigrants using taxpayer-funded resources without paying into the system while also empowering Americans to choose their tax rate."

It is unclear what the congressman meant by Americans choosing their tax rate.

The Georgia representative reinforced that he still supports the remigration of illegal aliens at the same time.

"I'm all for the repatriation of illegal immigrants, but as long as they’re here, they should be taxed," Carter added.

Taxing illegal immigrants is not specifically mentioned in the act, however, as it would be seemingly impossible to implement on an individual basis.

Under the FairTax Act of 2025, there would some exceptions for the new sales tax. Exceptions included the sale of used and "intangible property" and property purchased for business, government, export, or investment purposes.

The law would also carve out the opportunity for "lawful U.S. residents" to receive a monthly sales tax rebate based on a specific set of criteria related to income and family size.

The bill was originally introduced in 2023 but did not move.

The summary of that bill stated that the tax rate (starting at 23%) would be adjusted "in subsequent years."

At the same time, the bill "terminates the national sales tax if the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (authorizing an income tax) is not repealed within seven years after the enactment of this bill."

This would mean that the 23% tax is effectively a seven-year tax that theoretically results in no sales tax at all after that period.

The bill's original text made several claims that the federal income tax stymies economic growth and "has reduced the standard of living of the American public."

Blaze News contacted the Trump administration transition team for comment on the legislation; this article will be updated with any applicable responses.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

‘Rocket fuel for the economy’: Why Trump’s plan to raise tariffs and abolish income tax is brilliant



In Donald Trump’s bombshell interview on "The Joe Rogan Experience," the president-elect floated the idea of abolishing the income tax as well as raising tariffs.

While Glenn Beck has historically been against heavy tariffs, Trump may have won “The Glenn Beck Program” host over with his explanation.

“I’ve always been against tariffs; however, I might be wrong,” Glenn says. “Donald Trump is making a good case when he’s talking about getting rid of the income tax because tariffs will raise the prices of things, especially if he does it the way he’s talking about doing it.”

However, if Trump lowers the income tax simultaneously, the economy would boom.


“We could make up that deficit and become a very powerful nation again. Tell me I’m wrong,” Glenn challenges economic expert and Heritage Foundation visiting fellow Peter St Onge.

“That’s absolutely correct,” St Onge replies. “The vast majority of economists go after tariffs, they attack Trump over tariffs, and I think they are looking at the trees for the forest here.”

“If you replace a tariff, which is basically a sales tax, but it’s one that focuses on imported goods, if you replace that with either reducing or, in our dream scenario, abolishing the entire income tax, it is absolutely rocket fuel for the economy,” he explains, noting that Trump’s plan is reminiscent of the 1800s.

“That was before we had an income tax, was also before we had a Fed, and back then, the federal government had to live off tariffs,” St Onge says. “That was the greatest period not only of economic growth but of cultural achievement.”

“It was really the golden age of humanity, and the key there was that we did not have an income tax, we did not have a regulatory state, we did not have a Fed. So if Trump can take us back there, and all we have to do is like an 8% sales tax on Chinese stocks, that is the deal of the century,” he adds.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Why The American Founders Would Adore Trump’s Tariffs Plan

What Donald Trump told Joe Rogan is correct: tariffs are the best way to raise federal revenue in a constitutional system like ours.